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Matt Frederick

@mttfrdrck.bsky.social
211 followers 491 following 130 posts

Edgewater Chicagoan | former St. Louisan mattfrederick.substack.com

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Reposted by Matt Frederick
Sandy Johnston @sandypsj.bsky.social · 4h
Regional Rail plans are having a moment--a new one from Metra. assets.metra.com/s3fs-public/...
assets.metra.com
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Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · 4h
What will Chicago's transportation network look like in 2050? Improving Lake Shore Drive along with the Blue and Red lines are the top priorities for local transit agencies buff.ly/LIFdnYF
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Abundant Housing Illinois @abundanthousingil.bsky.social · 17h
8,500 new transit-oriented homes are possible, just on the land already owned by @nitachicago.bsky.social service boards!
A poster board for a joint development study inventory. 

91 PRELIMINARY DEVELOPABLE SITES
310 DEVELOPABLE ACRES
8,500 HOUSING UNITS

19 sites from CTA in red.
65 sites from Metra in blue.
7 sites from Pace in green.
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Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL 01) @jonathanjackson.house.gov · 14/10/2026
Today at LaSalle Street Station, I joined Metra to unveil North America’s first battery-powered trainset, backed by $169.3M in federal funding. 🚆⚡ The South Side and south suburbs deserve clean, reliable transit, and I’ll keep fighting to bring it home. #IL01 #Metra #CleanTransit
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 19h
autumn setting in
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Matthew Eadie @mattheweadie.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Great piece from @olivia0.bsky.social on #IL09 "Democrat Daniel Biss, Evanston's mayor, casts himself as a 'normie leftist' backing big ideas and opposing Trump, while GOP nominee John Elleson campaigns without raising money"
chicagotribune.com
Democrat Daniel Biss aims to keep party’s hold on Illinois’ 9th District vs. GOP’s John Elleson, who raises $0
Democrat Daniel Biss, Evanston’s mayor, casts himself as a ‘normie leftist’ backing big ideas and opposing Trump, while GOP pastor John Elleson campaigns without raising money in a district Democrats ...
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Mishi-gami
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Robert Loerzel @robertloerzel.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Chipmunks were chirping a lot today at Montrose Point. (It’s supposedly their alarm to warn of predators, but I suspect the noises may have multiple meanings.)
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Robert Loerzel @robertloerzel.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
A “woolly bear” at Montrose Point
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Active Transportation Alliance @activetransportation.org · 09/10/2026
“Chicago is primed and ready to benefit from bus rapid transit on Western Avenue,” says Amy Rynell, executive president of the Active Transportation Alliance. “BRT creates a train-like transit experience for a fraction of the cost of heavy rail."
chicago.suntimes.com
What’s your NITA dream project? Experts weigh in as new agency directing CTA, Metra, Pace plans budget
As Chicago's new transit agency overseeing CTA, Metra and Pace finalizes its 2027 budget, the Sun-Times wants to hear how you want the agency to spend its nearly $1.5 billion in extra cash.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
> @dkthomp.bsky.social
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chlurg @chlurg.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
SRO’s are a really important lower rung of housing. we need to make them easier to build, or more people will end up on the streets. see the OG thread for actions you can take at city council, and spread the word!
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Laurasaurus @laurasaurus.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I hope that in 100+ years, “the political media fucking loved him” is one of the reasons for Trump’s rise to power that makes it into the middle school/high school/introductory college classes.
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Fran Spielman in the Sun-Times: "For the fourth straight month, the mayor’s favorability is stuck as 31%, while 68% of the 606 likely Chicago voters surveyed by Change Research rate the mayor as unfavorable." chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/20...
Mayor Brandon Johnson presides at a recent Chicago City Council meeting. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
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Michelle @michelle345.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
So many signs that we really need a bike lane on Michigan Ave
A person rides a bike on the wide expanse of Michigan Ave alongside the LoopEvery dock is filled with Divvy bikes and scooters at station on Michigan AveThree people ride scooters and a bike on the sidewalk (technically illegal) next to Michigan Avenue
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Climate and Community Institute @cplusc.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
For #WeekWithoutDriving, we published a report showing that car dependence is a burden for people across the US, draining household budgets and leaving drivers feeling trapped. A few key findings with @dataforprogress.org:
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James Fegan @jrfegan.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The White Sox have a chance to clinch a playoff series in front of their home fans for the first time in 120 years. Bizarre history facts aside, it would be a chance to reward an audience that has been essential to the team taking itself seriously. chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...
chicago.suntimes.com
White Sox anticipating raucous crowd, seek to clinch first postseason-series victory at home since 1906
Sox players already anticipated a boisterous response from a fan base that endured a brutal rebuild, but a 2-0 lead in the ALDS offers a chance at substantial franchise history.
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Gourd (pumpkin) @gourdisin.space · 07/10/2026
Lake forever, problems* for now *the problem I'm thinking about the most right now is the plastic bag that I saw blow into the lake which, while still temporary, will take a very long time to resolve
Lake Michigan
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 06/10/2026
You often hear that clean energy is not replacing fossil energy, only adding to total energy, and thereby not reducing emissions. ("There is no transition," they say.) It's nonsense. Read this post from @zekehausfather.com about how much FF has been displaced by renewable energy:
theclimatebrink.com
What if the world hadn't built wind and solar?
Clean energy does not simply “add to” global energy use; it displaces fossil sources that would otherwise get built.
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The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
We talked with Chicago Transit Authority acting president Nora Leerhsen about the joys & challenges of running a system with annual ridership of more than 330 million, what kids can teach us about transit, & the role of public transportation in our democracy. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...
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Robert Loerzel @robertloerzel.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Things that come out of the grass
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Stephen Boisvert 🇨🇦 🟦⭐⭐⭐⭐🟦 @srboisvert.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Seen today in the Montrose Dunes. White-lined sphinx moth caterpillar. Becomes a very attractive moth which I have seen maybe three times usually on landed right on the LFT early in the morning near North Avenue beach, another area with some grassy dunes...
White-lined sphinx moth caterpillar on some sand.
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Thomas Bamonte @thomasbamonte.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Mark your calendars: On Sunday, October 18 @bikegridnow.org is "hosting a concert with local bands from 3-7 pm on The People’s Bridge™ (Cortland) in support of the permanent pedestrianization and continuation of bicycle-only access." bikegridnow.org/events/
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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 03/10/2026
Last week, I joined @americanprogress.bsky.social to discuss clean industrial policy and what it actually takes to build a clean energy economy that works for working people. For Central Illinois — with our manufacturing base — getting this right matters.
americanprogress.org
Building a Clean Industrial Future: Policy Lessons From Climate Week NYC
Global policy leaders offer recommendations for a clean energy agenda that drives economic growth, creates good jobs, lowers household costs, and strengthens energy security.
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Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune.com · 05/10/2026
Letter to the Editor: It’s past time for meaningful plastics policy. The Great Lakes deserve our protection, and the region is counting on state leaders to preserve it.
chicagotribune.com
Letters: Illinois lawmakers can do more to reduce plastic pollution
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Robert Loerzel @robertloerzel.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
A coyote checking out some tombstones.
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Daniel Biss @danielbiss.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Great to spend time knocking doors in Wisconsin today! This fall, let’s flip the house.
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
kites over Foster Beach
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Carter Lowe @whitesoxx.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Japanese call of Munetaka Murakami's 2 run go ahead homer #WhiteSox
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James Fegan @jrfegan.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
How are Miguel Vargas and Munetaka Murakami so close when neither of them speak English as their first language? Murakami suggested it’s kind of because of it. “I think he understands what I’m going through.” chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...
chicago.suntimes.com
White Sox players feel welcoming clubhouse vibe has brought the best out of each other
The way Sox players have overcome the language barrier to embrace Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami is just the chief example of an approach they use with the entire roster.
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Nick Ulivieri @nuphoto.com · 02/10/2026
Took a (very) rainy walk through the Loop tonight. I was absolutely soaked, but my camera stayed dry enough.
The pavement in Chicago is wet from a day-long rain. Street and traffic lights reflect on the stored in vivid colors. In the foreground, a person with an umbrella is an out-of-focus silhouetteCalder's Flaming - an orange, abstract metal sculpture in Chicago stands in a wet, reflective plaza. The sculpture is reflected in the rain coating the plaza's stone pavers in the evening with buildings in the background
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Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth @leniann.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This morning while divvying to work downtown, because of an unfortunate accident, DLSD going north was at a standstill for miles. I saw a slew of CTA busses trapped with the masses. Imagine. If we had a dedicated bus lane on DLSD?
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"You haven't asked me one fucking positive question."
time.com
Read TIME’s ‘What Trump Has Built’ Interview Transcript
The U.S. President discussed the war in Iran, press freedom, AI, and more ahead of the midterm elections.
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James Fegan @jrfegan.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Poetic justice in Erick Fedde, a bright spot of the nightmarish 2024 season, getting to close out a White Sox postseason victory. “I’m so glad they chose me with the ball and to give the team the win this whole fan base deserved" chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...
chicago.suntimes.com
White Sox keep their surprising season going with Wild Card series sweep in Houston
The Sox earned their first postseason victory in 21 years in the exact same manner as the last one: a sweep of the Astros completed in Houston
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Forbes Magazine profiles Bob Clark, chairman of Chicago-headquartered Clayco and "all-in" patron of the successful campaign to elect Cara Spencer mayor of St. Louis. www.forbes.com/sites/christ...
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Roland Klose @rwklose.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
St. Louis flic.kr/p/2sB3RoB
flic.kr
Jones House of Shining Stars, 4683 St. Louis Ave.
taken with ca. 1978 Nikon FE using Kodak UltraMax 400
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Brian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Everyone who dislikes Trump knows why, but it's important to know what made people who gave him a second chance after the insurrection regret it. We don't want to talk ourselves into the idea that it's always bad to move fast, unilaterally, unless that's true. www.offmessage.net/p/donald-tru...
offmessage.net
Democrats Are About To Learn The Wrong Lesson From Trump’s Failure
He was done in by malice, incompetence, corruption, and pathological vanity, not by his willingness to act before he could be stopped.
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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
the right's crippling lack of ball knowledge strikes again
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David Powe @davidpowe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
NITA budget prioritization survey just dropped: polco.us/n/res/vote/n...
polco.us
What Moves You? Help Shape the 2027 NITA Budget
Polco is a secure and reliable place to provide input directly to local and state leaders, as well as other socially minded organizations.
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Chicago, Bike Grid Now! @bikegridnow.org · 29/09/2026
Many are saying
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"Chicago’s best party of the season – at least to this point in early fall – came on Sunday on the South Side, all around West 35th Street and Shields Avenue. It wasn’t fancy, or exclusive. Everybody was invited."
chicagotribune.com
For long-suffering Chicago White Sox fans, there’s catharsis and redemption in unexpected postseason run
Chicago White Sox fans persevered through three consecutive 100-loss seasons. Now they’re basking in the postseason.
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Good things are happening in the neighborhood.
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
"US borrowing costs have soared in recent weeks to levels not seen since before the global financial crisis."
ft.com
Bond sell-off deepens as oil prices rise
Brent crude jumps and 10-year Treasury yield surpasses 5.2% as hopes for US-Iran agreement fade
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Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune.com · 27/09/2026
From flax that can be used in clothing and cars to robotic skimmers to stricter laws, determined researchers, activists and volunteers fight an industry intent on making more plastic.
chicagotribune.com
The overwhelming problem of plastic
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Daniel Biss @danielbiss.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Tune in to my Substack tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT for a live conversation about AI regulation! I'm excited to be joined by Sneha Revanur, founder and president of Encode — a youth organization advocating for the regulation of artificial intelligence.
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Barry Butler Photography @barrybutler9.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The Harvest Moon rising behind Chicago Harbor Lighthouse on Saturday evening in Chicago.
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Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Ctrl-F “Laquan McDonald” <Not found>
nytimes.com
Rahm Emanuel Makes His 2026 Play
The longtime Democratic insider has emerged as a behind-the-scenes force in his party’s push to win back Congress. After that, he’ll think about 2028.
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Abdul El-Sayed @abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
We can make more jobs and drop the price of electricity while solving the climate crisis, too.
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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 25/09/2026
It was a beautiful afternoon at Delight Flower Farm in Champaign yesterday with farmers, conservationists, and advocates from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and American Farmland Trust. Maggie Taylor built this farm from a backyard operation into a thriving, sustainable business.
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Matt Frederick @mttfrdrck.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
"Much of it is built on debt. An abrupt slowdown could ignite shock waves throughout the U.S. economy."
wsj.com
The AI Build-Out Is Becoming the Biggest Economic Bet in U.S. History
Data-center spending is greater than that for canals, railroads and grid combined—creating jobs and stock-market wealth, while boosting inflation and crowding out housing.
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